"At least we're better prepared now thanks to Master Shen. You did excellent for your first fight."
R.K. smiled. "It did feel good knowing I could defend myself."
Reaching out, she patted him on the back before riding ahead to join Teek.
"How much longer till we reach Foggy Vale?"
Teek's low creak told her they’d reach
the Vale by nightfall. He pointed up into a large, twisted oak tree where she saw a Red Raven staring at her with piercing black eyes. He let out three throaty caws. A sense of dread filled her. She’d only seen glimpses of the raven before, right before she faced an enemy. The Red Raven's ominous warnings of terrible things ahead was now coming to fruition. The dream of the dark magic user came flooding back to her. U’ka had almost forgotten about it, dismissing it as just another bad dream. Was the portent now about to come true?
'This is going to be good,' Bahlmet chuckled in her mind.
"We've got to hurry," said U'ka, nudging Bud's side to pick up the pace. Looking back at the dead men, she regretted they did not have time to give the soldiers a proper send off to the Eternal Lands.
3
Darkness Reflected
It was dusk by the time they reached the Vale, the small village sat completely dark and lifeless. U'ka felt a wrongness in the air as she dismounted and ran forward. Everything was too quiet and still. A magical barrier rose up in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She drew a spell breaking symbol and pushed her magic into, but nothing happened. Reaching out to touch it, she felt it was formed with Blood Magic. It would take power she was forbidden to use to break it. The bodies of the villagers lay strewn across the field before them. All plant life was cleared away, not a single blade of grass remained. They couldn’t use the Green Ways to get past the barrier.
"What's the matter?" said R.K.
"I can't get us past this," she said, slamming her fist into the barrier.
In the dim light, a man and woman were led out of the darkened village to the middle of the dirt field. They were part of the same group of marauders that attacked them earlier. U'ka gasped as the dark figure from her dreams emerged out of the shadowy night and stood before the man and woman. He was dressed head to toe in black, his face covered in a mask. U'ka couldn't hear them through the barrier but knew they were pleading for their lives.
The dark figure pulled back his black sleeve and made a cut across his arm, letting the blood drip on the ground as he walked a circle around them. He cast out his Blood Magic spell as he went. U'ka knew this spell all too well, a death curse. She pounded her fists on the barrier, screaming at him to stop. Hating the feeling helplessness, unable to stop what she knew was coming next. He finished laying his spell; she felt the dark magic being invoked. The man and woman writhed in pain. She couldn't hear them but knew their screams must have been horrible. They finally fell to the ground and were still, their torturous end finally over. U’ka pounded frantically on the barrier. When it disappeared, she tumbled forward, barely catching herself from falling to the ground.
So much for a grand show of force. She ran towards the dark assassin, readying her magic.
"Stay back!" She yelled at R.K.
A circle of fire erupted around U'ka and the dark figure. He was trying to cut her off from help.
"Good. You came as I planned and brought me my prize," the dark assassin said.
U’ka knew he meant R.K. and cursed herself for being so easily manipulated into a trap.
"You didn't need to kill them like that!" She screamed
"I did. I had to kill my parents to prove my loyalty to my Master. When my crows told me they found the desired one, I knew you’d come here. You saved me much time and effort trying to track him down. My Master will be very pleased with me."
U’ka felt the strength of his Blood Magic, but he was still in the early stages of the craft. Who was this Master that started his training? She knew he’d be overconfident, having never gone up against another magic-user. The Red Raven's warning prepared her for this moment. She readied herself for his attack. This fight would not end the same way as in her dreams.
"You don't have to serve this Master. I can teach you better ways to use your magic," she said, knowing it was unlikely he’d back down, but she still wanted to give him a chance.
His answer came as a Throw Back spell. U'ka easily swatted it away, his magic not strong enough to get past her defenses. He took a few steps back,
unused to anyone who could defend against his magic. A fireball erupted and flew at her. Again she put out her hand, quickly dissipating the fire. Next came a Binding spell she quickly broke. She sensed his panic as he started frantically throwing spells at her. U’ka took a step forward with each blocked spell. His incomplete training now to her advantage. She was a fully anointed Blood Witch, and would not be defeated by his inferior skills. She could tell he was tiring out, the spells he threw at her more desperate and futile until she stood before him, a shocked expression on his sweat-soaked face. U’ka backhanded the dark figure, sending him to the ground. Jumping on top of him, she pulled out her cuffs and slammed them tight on his wrists.
"You play around with evil like a child with a new toy," U'ka screamed at him, pulling off his mask to reveal the face of a young man around the same age as R.K.
She dropped her magic guise, showing him the daemonic face of Battibahla she’d been twisted into. Red skin, swept-back horns, black hair flowing in the breeze and deep red eyes. "This is what it means to be truly evil," she screamed just inches from his face.
Teek pulled her off of the now sobbing boy. Angry, the power welling up inside her, she hadn't even registered his terror. Teek brought her back from the brink. Bahlmet growled his frustration at being so close to pushing her over the edge.
U’ka brought up her disguise spell back up and looked over at R.K. and Runt huddled together cringing in fear.
'That was wonderful. We were so close. Let go next time and we can rule this land together,' Bahlmet whispered seductively in her head.
I will not be the Queen who laments, she thought back at him as she pushed him into the deep darkness.
"What did you do to me?!" he screamed, looking at the cuffs on his wrists, trying desperately to pull them off.
"I've cut you off from your magic," U’ka said, still trying to collect herself.
"Release me at once!" He yelled, lunging towards her. Teek grabbed him and threw him back. Vines shot out of his fingertips, wrapping around the young man's legs so he couldn't escape.
U'ka looked around. "Where did the other men go?"
"My crows are making their way to my Master. He will come for me and you will die," he spat at them.
She exhaled heavily. It was time to find out who his Master was.
"Hold him," she said to Teek.
He pinned the assassin to the ground as she laid her hand on his forehead.
"What are you doing?" he said in a fearful tone. Sweat poured down his face. U’ka saw the fear in his eyes.
She stared at him for a moment. "This is going to hurt. A lot."
His screams ripped through the air as she pushed her way into his thoughts; performing a mind rape to gather the information they needed.
U’ka stood in a metaphysical construct of his mind. He lay strapped to a stone block in the middle of a domed room where flashes of his memories played out on the walls and ceiling. She looked over to see Bahlmet step out of the shadows.
"What are you doing here?" she said, concerned about his presence here.
"I couldn't miss out on a torture session. It's just like the good old days when we mind raped prisoners for information."
"Do not take over this body or I will kill him and you'll be pulled back to the dark realm," warned U'ka.
"Don't worry. I don't want him. He's just a pup in the ways of Blood Magic. I've already got my prize, darling."
"Who is that?" the young man said with a quavering voice.
"
I am Bahlmet and this is Battibahla, Hand of Blood and Destruction to Queen Baht' ma, ruler of the Blood Daemons. Together we will rip apart your mind."
Fear filled his eyes as he struggled against the restraints. "Please, no," he whispered.
U’ka rolled her eyes, Bahlmet was always so overly dramatic.
"It will hurt less if you don't struggle," she said, touching his head.
"Please struggle," said Bahlmet, stepping forward with an all too eager look in his eyes.
U’ka pushed him back. "I'll handle the interrogation. I just want to find out who his Master is, not turn him into a drooling idiot."
"Where's the fun in that?"
U'ka ignored him. "What’s your name?"
He pressed his lips together, refusing to talk, but she heard the room fill with the name, Jae.
"Jae, who is your Master?" she said, pushing her will deeper into his psyche.
Jae grunted and arched his back, fighting to keep his secrets, but his thoughts betrayed him. The image of his Master flashed on the ceiling. A tall, heavily armored Warlord named Krell. Pushing deeper into the image, she saw he was a powerful Daemon warlord who’d be hard to defeat.
Tears streamed down Jae's face as he trembled and whimpered under her power. She was glad he gave up the information without too much of a fight. Jae’s mind was still young and fragile. She didn't want to destroy it.
"Where is your Master, Jae?" she said, forcing her will on him again. He started screaming.
An image of the great Sleeping Forest appeared on the walls around them. The forest sat between the sister cities of Mial and Myas. She removed her hand from his chest; his body shook uncontrollably from the interrogation. The blank look on Jae’s face worried her. Having the information they needed, she pulled herself and Bahlmet back into her mind and sat back exhausted. Jae lay in a fetal position whimpering to himself. Even though she’d tried to be as delicate as possible with his mind, she unintentionally broken him
'Well, he's useless to his Master now,' stated Bahlmet.
"Runt. Please go hunting and bring us back something to eat," instructed U'ka.
The Shadow Houndsnorted and ran into the darkness. R.K. silently set up camp while Teek attended to the task of taking bodies of Jae's parents and the villagers into the woods to release them to the earth. U’ka sat next to Jae, who finally fell into unconsciousness, wondering what to do with him. She couldn't drag him all over Eleanthra while they continued with their mission. Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she knew a pounding headache was coming on.
She felt heat on her back from the cooking fire. R.K. sat on the other side, staring at her intently.
"Will I become like you? A Daemon on the outside as well as inside?"
"No. I'll make sure it doesn't happen," said U'ka wearily as she turned towards him. "I was under Daemon influence for a long time. They twisted me into that creature. What you see here is the real me, not that monster."
Runt trotted into the camp dragging a small boar and dropped it by the fire.
"Can you prepare the meat for cooking, R.K.? I don't have the energy for anything else right now," she said, handing him her hunting knife.
"Yeah. I got it."
At the caravan, U’ka got some Allos tablets for her headache then went to Daisy and Bud to remove their gear and settle them down for the evening. She pulled a bag out of the infinity chest, giving them the leftover root vegetables. Leaning on Bud's neck, she listened to his chewing. She hated that she’d almost lost control today. The sight of Jae, a reflection of herself she did not want to see. She tried so hard to put the dark part of herself behind her, but it was always there just under the surface. She was able to push it back this time, but would she have the strength to do it again?
The smell of roasting meat brought her back to the fire. She handed him a wood plate for the meat and they ate in silence. Neither of them wanted to talk about what happened earlier. Runt sat in front of her with large, sad eyes watching every bite she took. He licked his jowls, letting out a small whimper.
U’ka rolled her eyes and sighed. "Let me cut off some more of the meat and you can have the rest."
She grabbed some waxed paper from the caravan and carved up the rest of the boar; carefully wrapping up all the meat to put in the Infinity Chest. Teek grabbed a handful of entrails before Runt dragged the rest of the boar into the darkness.
"Is it going to be safe to sleep with Jae here?" said R.K.
"Teek will watch him."
"What are we going to do with him?"
"I haven't figured anything out yet," she said, spreading out her bedroll.
"Are we taking him with us? I don't trust him. He wanted to abduct me for his Master."
"No. We're not taking him with us. Just let me sleep right now. I'll figure out something in the morning."
Runt came back to the fire and settled next to her. She lay back and let herself slip into the darkness of sleep. For a while, she dreamed of the past. Images of the two healers, Nallah and Calt, filled her mind. She also saw them in the future practicing their craft. Their paths would cross again. Those images faded and
were replaced with a grand throne room. She sat upon a throne of skulls. A black Daemon crown adorned with blood jewels sat upon her head. She was Queen Battibahla ruler of the Destroyed Lands. Bahlmet stood behind her in his finely embroidered clothing, bending to whisper in her ear. U’ka reached up and grabbed his face to push him away. He landed on the floor, looking up at her in anger.
"I told you," she screamed. "I will not be the Queen who laments. Get away from me!"
A low throaty growl came from the darkness. Runt stepped forward, eyes glowing a deep, dark red. He took another step towards Bahlmet, snarling menacingly.
"Easy boy," said Bahlmet, getting to his feet and taking a few steps back.
"Get him out of here," U’ka commanded.
Runt growled and lunged towards Bahlmet, who took off running into the darkness.
She ripped the crown from her head, throwing it into the void. The scene around her changed to a sunny meadow filled with brightly colored wildflowers. Birds sang in the tall grass and butterflies floated all around. Runt loped out of the grass and dropped a leather ball at her feet. U'ka smiled as she picked it up and threw it as hard as she could; the hound went bounding after it. He came back, panting happily with the ball in his mouth, tail wagging furiously. He dropped it at her feet and barked at her to throw it again. For the rest of the night, she enjoyed a blissful dream of their game of fetch.
4
The Fall of the Citadel
U'ka pulled back the floorboards of her hiding place, grabbing the first book she took from the secret alcove. She’d gone through all the spells in other Daemon books and now felt ready for the book on summoning Daemons. The final step in the power she sought. Controlling a Daemon elevated her abilities to unlimited levels. She opened the ancient tome to the page for summoning a Daemon and carefully followed the ritual.
With her athame, she sliced open her palm. She held out her hand and walked in a circle, letting her blood drip on the floor. Invoking the protective circle to contain the Daemon, she drew each of the four runes in the air as she walked around the circle. With the last symbol finished, they flared to life, glowing a dark red color. The circle pulsed with power; the time had come to bring forth a Daemon. She spoke the ancient words to summon the creature from the dark realm. Crimson and black smoke swirled inside the circle. A shadowy figure slowly formed out of the smoke that faded away to reveal a tall, handsome man with red skin and dark hair swept back into a ponytail. He wasn't what she expected. U’ka thought Daemons were terrible, twisted creatures, not the handsome man standing before her.
He bowed deeply before her. "How may I serve you, my master."
Her heart beat faster; she’d done it. He was hers to control.
"Teach me Daemon magic. I know there's more than in those books."
"Infinitely more," he said in a
seductive tone. He held out his arms, hands palm up. Ancient books appeared out of the smoke and swirled around him. U'ka's eyes widened as she stepped forward towards the circle.
"All this is yours, take it," he said, looking at her intently.
Reaching into the circle, the book slipped through her fingertips. It had no physical form. U’ka started to pull her hand back, but he grabbed her arm. She wrestled with him, trying to get free. Her foot slipped across the blood on the floorboards, breaking the protective circle. They fell backward together onto the floor. He was but a spirit; losing his physical form outside the circle. The anger in his face as he bore down on her was terrifying. He forced his way inside her, taking control. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, back arched in agony.
Vision fading to black, U'ka felt herself falling into darkness as he took over her body. She struck a cold, hard floor; metal bars slammed shut behind her. Now a prisoner in her own body, she was helpless to stop what happened next. He appeared just outside her cell with an evil grin on his face.
"Who are you?"
"I am Bahlmet, brother to Queen Baht' ma, ruler of the Blood Daemons. Together you and I are going to do incredible things," he said in a sultry tone.
"Why are you doing this? I thought you were going to help me," demanded U'ka
"I did help you gain more power and groom you for our needs, my darling. I'd call it a win for us both."
"What are you going to do?" U'ka uttered fearfully.
"Just watch," Bahlmet said, fading away.
Images of her bedchamber were cast on the walls of her cell. A knock came at her door. U'ka saw her hand reach out to slowly open the door.
"What's going on in here?" said K'len. U’ka knew him as a student in one of the classes she instructed. She watched in horror as he reached up to his throat, gagging. A thick black liquid oozed out of his mouth. His eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor convulsing. They stepped out into the hallway as the screaming began. People she’d known since she first came to the Citadel ran in terror. But it was futile. Everyone before her fell to the floor with painfully contorted faces.
The Blood Witch Chronicles Page 19
